Yarn feed controlling means for knitting machines



June 25, 1968 R. STERNER YARN FEED CONTROLLING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1965 United States Patent 3,389,581 YARN FEED CONTROLLING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Robert L. Sterner, Reading, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 497,760 Claims. c1. 66-133) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Control means for a yarn finger of a circular knitting machine including pattern means for controlling the movement of the finger between active and inactive positions, a first lever movable from inactive position to active position to hold the finger in inactive position after the finger is released for movement to active position by the pattern means, and a second lever having a first position for holding the first lever in inactive position and a This invention relates to multistation circular knitting machines adapted for rotary and reciprocatory operation to knit tubular fabrics such as ladies hosiery and more particularly to means for controlling the operation of the yarn feeding means of such machines.

In circular knitting machines having two or more knitting stations for knitting fabrics such as ladies hosiery with conventional reciprocated heel and toe portions, the main station is employed to knit the heel and toe during reciprocatory operation of the machine and both the main and auxiliary station or stations are employed to knit the welt, leg and foot portions of the hosiery during rotary operation of the machine. Commonly the knitting of the make-up courses of the welt starts at the main station and the auxiliary stations are then activated with the main station to knit the remaining portion of the welt and leg by moving a yarn feed finger and the stitch cam to active position at each of the auxiliary stations. At the start of the heel the instep group of needles are raised to a high inactive level and the auxiliary stations are inactivated by again moving their yarn fingers and stitch cams to inactive position while the heel is knit on the heel group of needles at the main station. The auxiliary stations are reactivated at the end of the heel for the knitting of the foot and then again inactivated before starting the toe generally in the same manner as in the welt and before the start of the heel. When the auxiliary stations are activated and inactivated, the leading ends of the ingoing yarns and the trailing ends of the outgoing yarns are interknit or interlocked with the stitches of a previously formed course to prevent the withdrawal of the yarn ends and the formation of eyelet holes in the fabric.

In order to interlock the ends of the ingoing and outgoing y-arns of the auxiliary stations spaced groups of so-called locking needles are provided in the heel group of needles and the groups are so operated as to take the 7 leading ends of the ingoing yarns and the trailing ends of the outgoing yarns at the auxiliary stations they are associated with and the yarn ends are then interlocked with the yarn of the next active station. Where the machine has a main and three auxiliary knitting stations and the auxiliary stations are to be activated and inactivated as above set forth, a separate group of locking needles is provided in the heel group of needles for each auxiliary station. When the auxiliary stations are activated in the formation of the welt the movement of the yarn fingers to active positions occurs while all of the needles are in their normal active path and the leading ends. of the ingoing yarns are taken by the associated groups of locking needles in the required manner. However, when the auxiliary stations are activated at the end of the formation of the heel, the yarn finger at one of the stations must be moved to active position between the trailing end of the instep needles, which are still in the high inactive level at this time, and the group of locking needles associated with this station. Due to the close proximity of this group of locking needles to the last needle of the instep group, the actual movement of the finger to active position must start While the instep needles are passing it with the result that the end of the ingoing yarn is at times prematurely caught in a few of the trailing instep needles and held at a level that will cause it to miss both the group of locking needles and some of the following needles that are to knit the yarn thereby causing a defective fabric and in some instances damage to the needles.

It is an object of the invention to provide means in a circular knitting machine for overcoming the above noted and other difliculties encountered in activating a knitting station following the formation of a fabric portion such as the heel of a tubular knitted stocking at another knitting station.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in a circular knitting machine for con-trolling the movement of a yarn finger to active position to activate an auxiliary knitting station to institute mul-tifee-d operation of the machine following single-feed operation of the machine at a single knitting station.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in a circular knitting machine for controlling the movement of a yarn finger to active position to activate an auxiliary station to change from single-feed to multifeed knitting of portions of a tubular stocking fabric which means includes a first means for releasing the finger for movement from inactive to active position, a second means for arresting the finger in inactive position after it is released by the first means and a third means for controlling the operation of the second means to release the yarn finger in timed relation-ship to the rotary operation of the needles of the machine.

With these and ther objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative and practical embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and cooperation of parts as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

16. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multi-feed' circular knitting machine having mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along the line and in the direction of the arrows 2--2 of FIG. 1, certain of the parts being shown in elevation and other parts *being shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but with certain of the parts being shown in dilferent positions relatively to FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the needles of the machine during their operation in forming the heel of a stocking as viewed when looking outwardly from the interior of the needle cylinder.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown a circular knitting machine having needles which are mounted in slots in a needle cylinder (not shown) adapted for both rotary and reciprocatory operation in a conventional manner, a main knitting station 11 and auxiliary knitting stations 15, 16 and 17, respectively. Main station 11 is provided with yarn feed fingers 20 pivotally mounted on a p rtion 19 of the usual latch ring 21 for movement between an inactive or non-feeding position and an active position to feed their yarns to the needles 10 to be knitted thereby into stocking fabric. Each of the auxiliary stations 15, 16 and 17 are provided with a main yarn finger 22 which carries the yarn used in the leg and foot of the stocking fabric and auxiliary fingers 2241 which carry the yarns used in other portions of the fabric. The fingers 22 and 22a at each auxiliary station are mounted for pivotal movement between inactive and active positions on a pin 23 carried in a bracket 24 also mounted on the latch ring 21.

The yarn fingers 22 and 22a at each of the auxiliary stations 15, 16, and 17 are moved from active to inactive positions by lifter members 25 pivoted on a pin 26 carried in a bracket 27 supported on an upper deck plate 30 of the machine. The lifter members 25 are operated by a butt pattern on tricks 31 (FIG. 2) carried in a trick wheel 32 secured to a shaft 35 mounted for rotation in the bracket 27. The trick wheel 32 is operated in a stepwise manner by a pawl and ratchet device indicated generally at 36 (FIG. 1) carried on the shaft 35 and the pawl and ratchet device is selectively operated by connections from a cam drum (not'shown) of the machine. When a butt on a trick 31 in the wheel 32 is moved beneath a lifter member 25, the lifter member is operated to raise its associated finger 22 or 2212 to inactive position as indicated by the full line position of the finger in FIG. 2. On the other hand when a trick on which a butt is removed is moved beneath a lifter member, the yarn finger associated therewith is moved to its active position, indicated in dot-and-dash outline in FIG. 2, by a spring 37 connected between the finger and a pin 40 carried in fixed position on the bracket 24. The yarn fingers 20 are also moved from active to inactive positions by lifter members 41 pivotally supported on a bracket 42 on the deck plate 30. The lifter members are operated by a trick butt pattern on a trick wheel 45 which is operated by a pawl and ratchet device 46, the latter being operated in the same manner as the pawl and ratchet devices 36 associated with the trick wheel 3-2.

The machine is also provided with a transfer dial mechanism 47 FIGS. 1 and 2 which includes a bed member 50 having guide walls defining slots for guiding transfer members (not shown) for radial movement in cooperation with the needles 10' to form welt portions of stocking fabrics in a conventional manner. The bed member 50 is secured to a shaft 51 supported in a housing member 52 of the dial mechanism which is also carried on the latch ring 21. The shaft 51 carries a bevel gear 55 meshing with a bevel gear 56 carried on a shaft 57 also supported for rotation in the housing member 52. The shaft 57 is driven through bevel gearing 60 which in turn is driven to rotate the shaft 51 and bed member 50 in synchronism with the needles 10.

The machine is provided with means for operating the needles, at the knitting stations, of the type shown in a co-pending application of Walter H. Irnboden, Ser. No. 402,097, filed Oct. 7, 1964, now Patent No. 3,250,091, issued May 10, 1966, and assigned to the assignee of the instant application. As shown in said co-pending application the main station 11 is provided with stitch cams for operating the needles for forming circular courses in rundown portions of the stocking fabric during rotary operation of the needles and for knitting partial courses in the heel and toe during reciprocatory operation of the needles. Pick means is also provided at the main station 11 for operating the needles in a conventional manner during formation of the heel and toe. The auxiliary stations 15, 16 and 17 are each provided with a stitch cam for operating the needles to form circular courses of the fabric only during rotary operation of the machine. The raising movements of the needles for operation by the stitch cams at these stations are controlled by pattern jacks.

Said Patent No. 3,250,091 is specifically directed to the control of the pattern jacks and needles to inactivate the auxiliary stations 15, 16 and 17. Generally as set forth in said application, the starting or make-up courses of the welt are formed at the main station 11 after which the auxiliary stations are activated and continue in operation with the main station until the start of the heel at which time the auxiliary stations are again inactivated while the heel of the stocking is knitted at the main station. As is common a yarn finger 22a is activated at each auxiliary station to feed a welt yarn when the auxiliary stations are activated in the welt and the main finger 22 is substituted for the finger 22a at each of these stations to feed a main yarn in the leg and foot of the stocking. Following formation of the heel the auxiliary stations and the main yarn fingers 22 thereat are again activated and remain in operation until a few courses before the start of the toe and the auxiliary stations and fingers 22 are again inactivated while the toe is knitted at the main station. In order to lock the ends of the ingoing yarns when the auxiliary stations are inactivated, spaced groups of needles 10, indicated diagrammatically at 61, 62 and 63 in FIG. 6 are provided in a portion 65 of the circle of needles on which the heel and toe are normally knitted. Each of the groups 61, 62 and 63 of needles is flanked on the left by a needle 10a which is the last to knit a yarn when the group is operated to lock the end of an outgoing yarn and on the right by a needle 10b which is the first needle to knit a yarn when the group is operated to lock the end of an ingoing yarn.

During knitting of the heel on the heel portion 65 of the needle circle the instep portion of the needle circle, indicated at 66 in FIG. 6, is raised to a high inactive level. Following formation of the last course of the heel, which occurs during a reverse reci-procatory stroke of the needles, the needles are returned to rotary operation. As the heel portion 65 of the needles passes through the main station 11 during the first rotary operation of the machine the groups 61, 62, and 63 of the needles are activated as set forth in said Patent No. 3,250,091 and the following previously inactive instep group 66 of needles are lowered to active position to follow the heel group of needles through the main station. As the needle groups 61, 62 and 63, which at this time are associated with the auxiliary stations 17, 16 and 15, respectively, approach their associated stations the trick drums 32 thereat are operated by a move of the cam drum to again lower the yarn finger 22 and yarn thereof to active position to be taken by the groups and the following needles to activate the respective auxiliary stations. When the fingers 22 at the auxiliary stations are lowered to active position, the finger at station 15 is above the needles between groups 62 and 63 and the finger at station 16 is above the needles between groups 61 and 62 in the heel portion 65 of the needle circle which is at this time in its normal knitting path and the yarn ends at these stations are taken by the groups of locking needles and the following needles in the required manner. The finger 22 at station 17 on the other hand is lowered to active position when it is above the needles between the needles of group 61 and a needle 67 (FIG. 6) which is the last needle of the trailing needles of the instep portion 66 of the needles which at this time are still in their raised inactive level. However, due primarily to the spacing of the auxiliary stations the spacing between the first needle of group 61 and the trailing instep needle 67 is insufi'icient for the movement of the finger from inactive to active position and the movement of the finger must be startedwhen the high trailing instep'needles are still passing it. This in the absence of the features of the instant invention results in the end of the ingoing yarn being caught in a few of the high trailing needles ofthe instep needles which at times causes this yarn end to be held at a level at which both the needles of the group 61 and some of the following needles will fail to engage the yarn in the required manner.

In order to accurately time the movement of the finger 22 of the auxiliary station 17 to its active position so that the yarn will miss the high instep needles, in accordance with the invention the finger is momentarily arrested in its inactive position following an operation of the trick wheel 32 by the cam drum designed to move the finger to active position, and the finger is then released for movement to its active position in the space between the needle 67 and the first needle of group 61. For this purpose there is provided a lever 70 pivotally mounted on a stud '71 carried in a member 72 secured by screws 75 to the bracket 24 at station 17 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 5). Thelever 70 has a depending arm 76 adapted to be moved into. abutting engagement with a shoulder 77 formed on a block-like member 80 secured to the side of the finger 22 by a screw -81 when the finger is in its raised inactive position of FIG. 2. A spring 82, connected between the arm 76 and a pin 85 depending from a portion 86 of the member 72, tends to bias the lever clockwise about the stud 71 from an inactive position shown in FIG. 4 to an active position shown in FIG. 5, to move the arm 76 into abutting engagement with the shoulder 77.

The lever 70 is normally maintained in its inactive position of FIG. 4 by engagement of a second arm 87 thereof with a head portion 90 of an adjustable screw 91 threadably carried in the free end of an arm 92 of lever 95. The lever 95 is pivotally mounted on a stud 96 carried in the housing member 52 and a second arm 97 of the lever 95 has a nose portion 100 which is adapted to follow the contour of a cam 101, when permitted to do so, secured on and rotatable with the shaft 51 of the dial mechanism. A spring 102 connected between the arm 97 and a pin 105 on a portion of the housing member 52 tends to bias the lever 95 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3, to engage the nose .portion 100 with a low surface 106 of the cam 101 thereby permitting spring 82 to turn lever 70 from its inactive to its active position as above set forth. Following movement of the lever 70 to active position to arrest the finger 22 under the control of the low surface 106 of cam 101, a high surface 107 of the cam acts to turn lever 95 clockwise to the position of FIG. 3 to move lever 70 to its inactive position of FIG. 4 thereby releasing the yarn finger for movement to active position.

The lever 95 is normally latched in its position of FIG. 3, to hold the lever 70 in its inactive position by engagement of cooperating shoulders 108 and 109 formed on members 110 and 111, respectively. The member 111 is secured to the arm 92 of the lever 95 and the member 110 is secured to the upper end of a rod 112 mounted for vertical movement in aligned apertures 115 in the portion 86 and a lower portion 114 of the bracket 72 (FIG. 2). A block 116 secured to the rod 112 intermediate the portions 86 and 114 of bracket 72 carries a depending pin 117 for sliding engagement with an aperture 120 in the portion 114, the block and pin acting to prevent rotation of the rod. A spring 121 carried on the rod 112 between the portion 86 and the block 116 normally biases the rod and member 110 downwardly to position the shoulder 108 for engagement with the shoulder 109 on the member 111 (FIG. 4). The rod 112 is adapted to be raised to disengage the shoulders 108 and 109 (FIG. 5) to permit the lever 95 to follow the contour of cam 101 by a lifter member 122 (FIG. 2) which is similar to the lifter member 25 when the member 122 is operated by a trick butt on the trick wheel 32.

During knitting of the heel, the fingers 22 for the yarns at the auxiliary stations 15, 16 and 17, used in the leg portion of the stocking, are held in raised inactive positions by engagement of trick butts on the trick wheels with'the lifter members 25 associated with the fingers. Also at this time the lifter member 122 is inactivated by the trick butt pattern on the trick wheel 32 of station 17 thereby permitting the rod 112 and member 110 thereon to be positioned to arrest the lever 95 and to hold the lever 70 in its inactive position of FIG. 4. During movement of the trick wheels 32 to inactivate the lifter members 25 and to permit movement of the fingers to active positions at the stations 15, 16 and 17 to reactivate these stations, the lifter member 122 is also operated by a trick butt on the trick wheelat station 17 to raise the rod 112 and disengage the shoulders 108 and 109 to release lever 95 and permit it to move counterclockwise into following engagement with the low surface 106 of the cam 101. This movement of lever 95 in turn permits movement of the lever 70 and the arm 76 thereof into arresting engagement with the shoulder 77 on the finger 22. It is to be understood that while the finger 22 is released and the lever 70 is released for movement to arresting engagement with the finger during the same move of the trick wheel 32, the lifter members 25 and 122 are so designed that member 122 is operated to release the lever 70 for movement to its arresting position slightly before the member 25 operates to release the finger. Thereafter, when the high surface 107 of the cam 101 acts to again turn 1ever95- clockwise to its position of FIG. 3, lever 95 moves the lever 70 to the inactive position of FIG. 4 to release the finger for movement to its active yarn feeding position between the needle 67 of the instep needles and the adjacent first needle of the group of needles 61.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above described results are obtained can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a main knitting station and at least one auxiliary knitting station, a cylinder adapted for rotary and reciprocatory movements, needles in said cylinder, dial mechanism rotatable with said cylinder, means for feeding yarn to said needles at each of said stations to be knitted thereby into courses of a tubular fabric, pattern means for moving said yarn feeding means to inactive positions and for releasing said yarn feeding means for movement to active position at said station, and means for moving said yarn feeding means to said active positions when released by said pattern means, in combination with means at one of said stations for holding said yarn feeding means thereat in inactive position after said feeding means is released for movement to said active position by said pattern means, first means selectively releasable by said pattern means for moving said holding means into holding engagement with said feeding means when said feeding means is released for move-ment to said active position by said pattern means, and second means actu able for moving said holding means from said holding engagement with said feeding means to inactive position to permit movement of said feeding means to said active position by said moving means for said feeding means.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which said holding means comprises a lever, and said first means for moving said holding means into said holding engagement with said feeding means comprises a spring connected to said holding means.

3. A machine according to claim 1 in which said second moving means for said holding means includes a lever and there is a first means for moving said lever in one direction to permit said first means to move said holding means into holding engagement with said feeding means and second means for moving said lever in a direction opposite to said one direction to move said holding means to said inactive position.

4. A machine according to claim 3 in which said first means for moving said lever comprises a spring, and said second means for moving said lever includes a cam.

5. A machine according to claim 4 in which said cam is carried on and rotatable with said dial mechanism.

6. A machine according to claim 1 in which said second moving means for said holding means includes a lever and there is a first means for moving said lever to a first position to permit movement of said holding means into holding engagement with said feeding means, and a second means for moving said lever to a second position to move said holding means to said inactive position.

7. A machine according to claim 6 in which said second means for moving said lever to said second position comprises a cam, and said cam is adapted to control the movement of said lever to said first position.

8. A machine according to claim 7 in which said cam means is carried on and rotatable with said dial mechanism.

9. A machine according to claim 6 in which there is means for latching said lever in said second position, and

means for releasing said latching means to permit movement of said lever to said first position by said first moving means.

10. A machine according to claim 9 in which said means for releasing said latching means includes said pattern means, and said pattern means is operative to release said latching means when said yarn feeding means is released for movement to active position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,920,879 8/1933 Page 66-133 1,927,683 9/1933 Grothey. 2,920,467 1/1960 Dantzler 66-138 3,013,415 12/1961 Auton 66-138 XR 3,102,405 9/1963 Fregeolle 66-138 3,201,957 8/1965 Levin 66-138 3,252,307 5/1966 Kaese 66-134 FOREIGN PATENTS 419,524 3/ 1947 Italy.

W. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

